Junta raid in Sagaing’s Kanbalu leaves civilian dead, dozens of homes torched

A military raid by junta troops in southern Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, in mid-July left one civilian dead and more than 70 homes destroyed, according to local residents. On July 21, junta forces based at a sugar factory south of Kanbalu launched operations targeting nearby villages, including Ywarthit and Sisongyi. During the assault, 67-year-old Ywarthit resident Mya Daung was captured and killed while attempting to flee. His body was reportedly discarded by troops shortly after he was killed. "During the military operation, the father and son got separated,” a communication officer of Kanbalu Township told Myanmar Now. “The son told him to retreat this way because the army column was approaching from that direction. While they were talking, he ran into the army’s front scout, and after that, the son couldn’t reach him by phone anymore. That’s how it happened.”Resistance sources said the body was found inside a burned house in Si Son Gon village, which, along with nearby Si Son Gyi, was set ablaze by junta troops. The two adjacent villages are located roughly 6.5 miles from the sugar mill where the military has established a base. Nearly 80 homes and several barns and machines were destroyed in fires in Ywar Thit and Si Son Gyi villages, while Junta soldiers destroyed huge amounts of rice, sources told Myanmar Now. “There were large amounts stored in rice barns, and rice had been spread out on the ground under tarpaulins to dry, so over 10,000 tins of rice were burned by the army,” the communication officer said. “Some people had stored thousands of tins of rice in storage buildings. Because it was harvest season, the rice had been dried and piled up in heaps.” The junta army has not yet responded to the allegations of killings and arson. On July 23, junta troops retreated to their base at the sugar mill, but by the following morning, two army columns—comprising nearly 200 soldiers—launched operations targeting villages east of the compound, according to reports. "They're laying out various strategies,” the same communication officer explained. “We've been receiving intelligence for a long time, hearing that they want to establish a garrison at Yekyi-U, and there are situations where they want to regain control of strategic road sections on the Shwebo-Myitkyina highway.” Local resistance forces say the junta columns operating in Kanbalu Township this month are led by Light Infantry Battalion 361 from Kalay and include pro-junta militias. The township also hosts Tank Battalion 6006 and a large number of militia forces led by the junta-backed monk, U Watharwa, making it a major stronghold for the militias in Sagaing Region. By taking the strategically important village of Thintaw, just north of the town, the junta has regained control over the Kanbalu–Kawlin inter-district road. On the Shwebo-Myitkyina road, a route that passes through Kanbalu, the military has established footholds in Yama Nay, Pay Gyi, Sabai, Nan Thar, and Zin villages.However, sources say, the junta does not have full control over the entire road section. In late June, junta forces stationed at the sugar plant killed 11 civilians during raids on villages near Zigon town, where they also set fire to homes in multiple small nearby villages. According to Data for Myanmar, over 109,000 homes were burned by junta forces and allied groups over the past three years, with Sagaing Region accounting for the majority—more than 76,000 houses destroyed.

Junta raid in Sagaing’s Kanbalu leaves civilian dead, dozens of homes torched

Residents say military troops torched nearly 80 homes and destroyed vital rice supplies

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